Touchable Tamagotchi-Like Pet Makes You Feel The Weight Of Caring For One

Video screenshot via Takara Tomy

Some people turn to the tactility of stress toys, while others seek a little more mental stimulation from their Rubik’s cubes. These mildly disturbing virtual pets offer a bit of both—like the beloved Tamagotchi toys, they’re digital, but they are also very much tangible.

Japanese toymaker Takara Tomy’s bizarre Punirunes Touchable Digital Pet brings an additional joy (or burden?) of the responsibilities of taking care of a virtual pet. Besides a familiar electronic case, the toy has a hole at the side that you stick your finger into to feel the character’s living presence.

Video screenshot via Takara Tomy

According to the company, there are over 50 variations of Punirunes, and they’re all squishy. You can feed, bathe, and clean them, as well as engage in mini-games.

The pets go through three stages of life; there’s the baby self, the kid self, and the adult self. The final evolution is when you can finally give your pet a pet, with the warm interaction being reflected on the toy’s LCD screen, Yanko Design reports.

That’s a virtual life in your hands. We’re not sure which is eerier—this, or the legless bodies in the metaverse.

Image via Takara Tomy

[via Yanko Design and Core77, images via Takara Tomy]